family – W. A. Greenly.

A message from Mr. Greenly, science nerd, nature lover, writer, and aspiring teacher

🌿 Welcome to Critter Quest Education
A message from me, Mr. Greenly

Hi there, and welcome to Critter Quest Education! If you’ve landed here, chances are you’re a teacher, educator, or maybe even a curious parent on the hunt for curriculum-aligned science content, engaging and ready to use in the classroom. You’re in the right place.

I’m Mr. Greenly, a scientist, writer, and aspiring educator who’s currently completing a Master of Teaching (Primary). I also hold a Bachelor of Science in Biodiversity & Conservation, and over the past few years, I’ve been steadily building this little corner of the internet: Mr. Greenly & Critter Quest Education. It’s now a home for Australian Curriculum-aligned science explainer videos and primary science teaching resources, created specifically for Foundation to Year 6 classrooms, relief teachers, and homeschoolers.

But before I talk more about the resources, let me tell you a little about how this all came to be.

Supporting Australian Primary Science Education with Engaging, Curriculum-Aligned Videos
🦎 From science to stories
I’ve always been fascinated by the natural world, by frogs croaking at sunset, ants working together on the forest floor, and fossils whispering stories from millions of years ago. That love of nature led me to study Biodiversity & Conservation, where I deepened my understanding of the world’s ecosystems, species, and the fragile web that connects them all.

But I’m also a storyteller at heart. Somewhere between university assignments and fieldwork, I began writing a book, a fantasy adventure novel for pre-teens and early teens inspired by my love for adventure, science, and the magic of nature.

The book, titled Pho Fickler & The Last Archaeopteryx, follows a young boy who enrols in Fogbow’s School of Natural Processes, where science, nature, and ancient mysteries collide. Set in the fictional world of Aileron, the story explores environmental stewardship, scientific wonder, and the battle between knowledge and exploitation.

I’ve been working on this story since 2019, writing, re-writing, editing, and collaborating with a small group of brilliant beta readers. It’s still a work in progress that I’m aiming to launch soon, but it’s a huge part of the same mission that drives Critter Quest: to inspire younger generations to care about nature, ask big questions, and feel empowered to learn.

🚐 The road to teaching
After finishing my science degree a few years back, I bought a bus and converted it into a motorhome. I hit the road with my dog Bruce and my bus, Nessie (short for Wildernessie) just over a year ago when the three of us set off on an eight-month journey, exploring the country, soaking in nature and, admittedly, feeling a little lost.

I loved the freedom—but unexpectedly, I also felt the absence of purpose.

It was during this time that I reflected on something I’d always wanted to do: teach. I’ve always admired the role teachers play in shaping not just knowledge but values, curiosity, and confidence in young minds. I knew I wanted to help kids connect with the world around them, especially the natural world, and to create learning experiences that felt joyful and accessible.

So, I enrolled in a Master of Teaching (Primary), and now I’m just a few weeks out from my first official placement. I’ve got butterflies the size of lorikeets but I’m also incredibly excited to learn, grow, and step into a classroom with real students for the first time.

While I don’t yet have formal classroom experience, I’ve spent plenty of time hanging out with my two young nieces (pre-school and Foundation years), asking bug-related questions, inventing backyard science experiments, and watching the wheels turn in their minds. That joy, the joy of sparking understanding, is what fuels everything I do here at Critter Quest and beyond.

🎥 Why I created Critter Quest Education
Critter Quest Education was born from a simple but pressing question:

What if teachers had access to short, accurate, curriculum-linked science videos and teaching resources they could drop straight into a lesson, without hours of prep or worry about relevance?

Teachers are time-poor. Planning science lessons, especially ones tied directly to the Australian Curriculum v9.0, takes precious hours. And while there’s plenty of content online, much of it is too broad, too long, or just not quite aligned.

So I started creating Australian primary science explainer videos using AI tools alongside my own scripting, editing, and curriculum alignment. The result? A growing library of short, engaging videos tailored to specific content descriptions and achievement standards, covering topics from Biological Sciences to Earth & Space.

Every video is:

Aligned to F–6 Australian Curriculum
Kid-safe and classroom-friendly
Designed to support teacher planning, not replace it
Made with curiosity, clarity, and care
Agonised over by me for hours—upon hours!

🌱 What you’ll find here
Whether you’re a classroom teacher, relief educator, or homeschooling parent, my goal is to make science feel less overwhelming and more exciting. You’ll find:

✨ Short science explainer videos, sorted by year level, and curriculum strand
📚 Free teaching resources (coming soon!)
🧠 Articles for educators, covering curriculum insights, environmental education, and teaching strategies (also coming soon!)
📖 Updates on my upcoming book, Pho Fickler & The Last Archaeopteryx

And all of it is infused with a warm, personal approach. I want you to feel welcome, heard, and supported. Like you’ve found a little ally in the sometimes chaotic world of planning science.

💬 Stay in touch
If this sounds like the kind of space you’d like to come back to, I invite you to:

Subscribe to my email list (via the subscription bar below) so you’ll know when new videos and resources go live
Check out the YouTube channel to browse videos by year level
Follow along with the blog for insights, updates, and inspiration

Teaching is one of the most human, meaningful things we can do, and if I can help take even a sliver of weight off your shoulders with these videos and teaching resources, then Critter Quest Education is doing its job.

Thanks for being here.

Warmly,
Mr. Greenly
Science nerd, nature lover, aspiring author & teacher
Critter Quest Education

Back to the Critter Quest Education Homepage.

Once a month my local writing group sets a theme for a piece of writing each member will submit. This month’s topic was “Christmas”. I decided to take an old story my Uncle often tells of my Grandpa (who passed when I was very young) and weave it into my own lasting memories of both my Grandpa and our family Christmases.

Christmas with Grandpa

In fifteen minutes we had to leave to go to Grandpa’s for Christmas. Christmas was always fun with my family. Mum, Dad, my older sister and younger brother, Nana, Grandpa, my uncles, aunties, and cousins. Plus, all the food and more presents! I’d already received loads of presents from Mum and Dad, and Father Christmas, but I couldn’t help but wonder what I’d get from the rest of my family.

The drive there usually took ages. That’s because both my uncles lived so far away and unless Christmas was at our house or Nana’s it’d take half an hour at least. But this year it’s just around the corner at Grandpa’s. I wondered what trick he’d play, or what marvellous story he’d tell. Grandpa never failed to stir up some fun! As we pulled up the drive my eyes were immediately drawn to the soft glow of numerous red, green and white lights that shone through the drapes covering Grandpa’s window. They formed the shape of a Christmas tree.

Before heading in we had to help Mum and Dad carry something. I never knew why Mum would bring so much. There’s always heaps of food and drink left over every year but she insisted. Everyone else agreed with me too. Cradling a giant ham concealed in a cloth bag with both my arms I passed the loungeroom and looked in. Peering over the bag, I saw Grandpa’s mesmerising tree. It was lit and decorated fancily just like one you’d see in a Christmas movie. Under it, a massive stack of neatly wrapped presents.

‘Joshie!’ I heard Grandpa’s familiar voice calling as I entered the kitchen. He came straight over and took the ham from my arms and proceeded to scruff my hair as he always did. ‘Joshieeeee!’

He stopped and pulled back as if suddenly remembering something.

‘Alright. We’re all here, I’ve got something to show you all.’

Many of the adult’s eyes met around the room and over the table as if they knew what might be coming.

‘Come on, you kids come inside,’ he yelled, gathering us grandchildren.

A trip to the back door and a few loud calls later saw the whole family gathered in the kitchen in anticipation.

‘This year’s a special Christmas,’ he assured us all. ‘Santa came last night; he left me a special present.’

Looking around I saw the faces of my younger siblings and cousins glowing in anticipation. But us older ones weren’t so easy. We knew that what Grandpa was doing was likely a joke, possibly a trick, and rarely just what he promised.

‘Wait here,’ he said, before disappearing into his bedroom and shutting the door.

We waited, all of us kids and the adults too. A buzz of curiosity and excitement floated about the room. A few moments later Grandpa reappeared. His hands cupped as if holding something within.

‘Now,’ he began. ‘If I show you this, you have to all swear never to tell another soul.’

He insisted. All of us children began nodding while the adults eyeballed one another, frowning in between sips of their drinks.

‘I’ve got Santa’s house pet!’ he told us. ‘He’s a bit skittish, and maybe scary, but Santa’s left him here for special keeping under my care.’

Noticing the children’s excitement as they jumped and begged to see, Grandpa lifted his hand and sitting right there in his palm was the biggest, hairiest, huntsman any of us had ever seen. Us older kids were blown away and my younger siblings and cousins squirmed in fear.

‘No, no, don’t worry, this is Santa’s house pet,’ Grandpa did his best to reassure them. ‘A huntsman won’t hurt anyone and I can hold him no worries! See?’

Grandpa held out his hand twisting it in order to show the creature off as it scampered across and around his hand, and then up his arm.

‘Ouch!’ Grandpa screamed, his yell loud enough that everyone in the room jumped in fright.

He flicked his arm violently hurling the huntsman to the floor. Then, just as soon as everyone’s eyes had managed to find it again, the thick sole of Grandpa’s leather boot pressed down hard on top of it. We all cringed at the sight of Santa’s huntsman’s legs and innards smeared across the kitchen floor.

‘The damned thing bit me!’

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Tag: family

Welcome to Critter Quest Education – Free Australian Primary Science Videos & Teaching Resources

Christmas with Grandpa: A Hilarious Family Tradition You’ll Never Forget